Subject: World wide gay boycott on Zimbabwe as vacation destination
From: "Cornelia Botha" <[email-masked]> <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 5 Dec 1998 18:23:16 +0200

This is an email sent from South Africa to the global gay community with
regards gay / lesbian intolerance. The gay community worldwide can make a
difference even on continents and in countries far away from them. We on
the Southern tip of Africa may be far away from you, but if it were your
choice of lifestyle being attacked across the seas, we would do whatever
possible to help make a difference. This email regards Zimbabwe, a
neighboring country of South Africa.
If you've been following the news this year, you would probably be aware of
the steps Zimbabwean President Magabe has been trying to take to
criminalize homosexuality. Attention was once again drawn to this battle in
Zimbabwe in the beginning of December &rsquo;98 when Former Zimbabwean
President, Canaan Banana, had to flee Zimbabwe after having been found
guilty on several counts of "sodomy" (homosexual activity) which is not
tolerated, especially by the current president of that country (President
Magabe). It is not clear whether Banana forced himself on anyone, in which
case he deserves the full extent of the law.
However, perhaps the uproar that resulted from this incident should be a
wake up call for both the South African gay community and the gay community
globally to start doing something about this intolerance. Perhaps the time
has come for us to make an effort to spread the word around the globe to
our gay family to boycott Zimbabwe as a tourist destination. 
Gay people around the world generally have more disposable income, due the
fact that they don't have families to support and because, generally, they
are very ambitious. This empowers the gay community to travel more and
spend more money while on their vacations.

The Australian tourist board is one example of a country that has a special
program and advertising campaigns design especially for the gay market
internationally. They have realized the power of the pink dollar. Zimbabwe
is in deep trouble economically. Their primary draw card is their potential
for tourism, because their currency is very cheap and their native country
is very beautiful. I know first hand because I was born there.

By contacting as many of your gay friends and contacts, business associates
and people of influence, online and offline as possible with this
information we could spread the news that Zimbabwe is intolerant, in fact
aggressive, toward gay people. And that in order to show a unified stand
against that, we should boycott it. On the other hand, let it be known that
South Africa has one of the most gay friendly constitutions, although it is
not yet perfect, with a vibrant gay community. This leaves open an
alternative for the perfect gay friendly African vacation.  Post this
letter on your websites or publish it in you gay / lesbian magazines.  
Let&rsquo;s start caring about the different gay communities represented
around the world. We in South Africa don&rsquo;t HAVE TO do anything about
the struggle in Zimbabwe, but we have chosen to do so now. Let&rsquo;s
stand together and start the ball rolling on a worldwide gay boycott
against Zimbabwean tourism on the grounds of discrimination against our
sexual preference! 
Kind Regards, 
Cornelia Botha
[email-masked] <mailto:[email-masked]>
If you will be posting this information on your website, please drop me an
email so that I can keep track of the response.  Thank you.